Just before Jabrill Peppers found his way into the end zone for his second touchdown Saturday, the score that got Paramus Catholic back in the game after a dismal start against Delbarton, his helmet was pulled off by a defender.

So when Peppers popped up to celebrate the touchdown, his excitement was there for everyone to see. Peppers grinned his way back to the Paramus Catholic sideline, shouting “Come on, man!” as he received congratulations from his teammates. On the other side of a fence, the bleachers of the Paramus Catholic student section had reached pure bedlam.

We’re not an expert on such matters, but Peppers seems to be having no trouble finding friends at his new school; the junior slotback/strong safety transferred to Paramus Catholic from Don Bosco earlier this year.

“I felt at home the second week after I transferred,” Peppers said with a grin. “I felt at home, absolutely.”

Peppers certainly got a warm welcome from his classmates Saturday in his Paladin debut, as he scored three touchdowns — two running and one receiving — in Paramus Catholic’s 36-23 win over Delbarton.

“The kid’s a competitor, he’s a player, he’s a leader,” Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge said. “I love him to death. He’s a big addition for our team as you can see today. We’ve gotta get rallied around him now.”

For Peppers, one of the most recruited athletes in New Jersey, PC provides not only a fresh start but an unfamiliar situation on the football field. At Bosco, Peppers was one of the most talented players on one of the best teams in the country. At Paramus Catholic, he’s the most talented player on a young, up-and-coming team.

For the first time in his high school football career, Peppers is, unquestionably, the guy.

“It was great at Don Bosco,” Peppers said, “having a lot of guys that can perform even better in tough situations on a higher level. But these guys here, we’re all young and we’re just going to keep getting better and better. The sky’s the limit. This team is going to get a lot better than what you saw today.”

What we saw Saturday against Delbarton was a Paramus Catholic team that got off to a painfully slow start on both sides of the ball. A bad snap on a punt led to a safety. A blown coverage on a 4th and 1 led to a 36 yard touchdown pass over the middle. A screen pass was intercepted and taken back for a touchdown. Before you knew it, this Paramus Catholic team that had such high hopes was down 16-0 before halftime.

We saw a team that even after it rallied back, committed penalties at the wrong time. (The Paladins had two touchdowns called back because of penalties Saturday)

After the game, coach Partridge was animatedly said that his team had a lot of work to do to get better.

But there was plenty to be excited about if you’re a PC fan.

We saw a ton of potential and depth. We saw how dangerous this young team could be as junior receivers Ty Washington (three catches for 62 yards) and Dejon Harrison (five catches for 74 yards), and sophomore receiver Najee Clayton (two catches for 31 yards), all had flashes of brilliance.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Peppers’ day is that he needed only 10 touches to amass his 223 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. (Nine carries for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and one reception for a 51 yards and a touchdown.)

Peppers says he has no problem with limited touches, provided the offense is productive.

“It’s perfect,” he said. “We have a lot of guys that can make plays, which you saw. We have a lot of playmakers and explosive guys on this team, I have no problem with it. As long as you do something, get positive yards, my mouth is shut.”

After some of the plays Peppers made Saturday afternoon, however, jaws were being picked up off the floor.

The most memorable Peppers play wasn’t even a touchdown. It was a 50-yard run in the fourth quarter, when Peppers should have been brought down near the line of scrimmage, then he should have been brought down after about 35 yards. Instead, he just kept chugging along, making the defense miss with his agility, shedding tacklers with his strength, and running away from them with his speed.

The PC fans were gleeful in the stands. This is something they could get used to. More than a few Delbarton fans shrugged their shoulders in resignation. What can you do?

It’s not just ability with Peppers, there’s intensity, too. For example: with about 10 seconds left in the first half, Paramus Catholic got the ball inside its own 20 yard-line. The play there is to take a knee and head into halftime, especially considering that Paramus Catholic just gotten itself back in the game with two late first-half touchdowns. But Peppers was clearly disappointed with the decision to take a knee. He was waving at the PC sideline, trying to convince them to give him the ball. (They didn’t.)

With Peppers’ attitude, it’s easy to figure out why he wanted the ball. And it has nothing to do with stats.

But what’s Peppers’ secret? Well, according to the player himself, it’s a combination of his instincts and good blocking.

“I don’t even think,” Peppers said of his running style. “It just kind of happens. You just gotta react. If you think, you stink. That’s what my Pop Warner coach used to tell me. You’ve just got to react and great things happened today. I’m really proud of my receivers for blocking on the peremiter today, and my line. Without them, it would have been no Jabrill Peppers today.”

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Darren Cooper is from Slidell, La., and is a graduate of Louisiana State University. He covers any North Jersey sport — including soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and softball — within walking distance of an ice cream parlor.View all of his posts

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